Early 7 am start as we had a six hour journey to get to the Masai Mara Game Reserve travelling through the Rift Valey. The vistas are vast and the sky plays a dominant role in the landscape. The loo stops consisted of never ending emporiums selling every conceivable shape of carved animal and tribal person backed up by amiable sales man who was your very best friend with a very good price! The road was straight and bumpy and we spotted the odd animal as we entered the Masai Mara region. As we passed through Narok the main Masai [View Full Entry]

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The best hug in the world from Tamsin when I arrived in Nairobi. Having seen Leigh off on his flight we were driven into Nairobi for an over night stay before we had our one day tour round the city and various sites. We were shown the central buildings of nte and where the US Embassy was until 1998 when it was blown up. Not a paricularly inspiring city. Our first animal visit was to an elephant sanctuary where all the babies they rescue from the wild are kept and tended until they can be reintroduced into the wild. This [View Full Entry]

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Sat 2 June We fly together to Nairobi (via Lusaka) arriving late afternoon. Culture shock - a big city - cars, factories, and pelicans in the trees ! A few hours later we return to the airport to meet Iris off the flight from London. A quick cuppa tea and then I’m off on midnight flight to London. Over to Iris and Tamsin to tell you all about life in Kenya……. Good bye from Leigh, the guest blogger. [View Full Entry]

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Thurs 31 May Drove back to Mzuzu and, relief, an open petrol station. We’d only passed one other over the last four days, and that was out of diesel. Reputedly we’d been near to somewhere that sold it in 20 litre cans that they collected on the bus - but I hadn’t actually found that retailer. Then southwards down the lakeshore to Kande Beach. A bit of a culture shock as it is a large backpacker stop geared up for the overland tourist trucks and there were three of them there - about 60 travellers. One was the same truck that [View Full Entry]

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Tues 29 May Headed north along lakeshore and then inland up a 15km horrendous rough and steep road climbing 1500m to Livingstonia - site of the Scottish Mission founded by the Scotsman Dr Robert Laws. Stayed overnight at the ‘Mushroom Farm Lodge’ - a small backpacker lodge with 1500m vertical views. Local lads guided us to a waterfall with a cave behind where people reputedly hid to avoid paying taxes. Not being too keen on heights I chickened out and left Tamsin to the locals - personally I would rather have paid the taxes than have hidden there Wed 30 [View Full Entry]

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Mon 28 May Emerged from our dingy Travelodge and gave the battery another wallop and Jonathan appeared to guide us to a local mechanic who charged £2 for parts (new connectors) and a £2 tip for his time. But for the rest of the trip I was never 100% confident about the go-anywhere reliability of the 4x4, especially as the back door kept jamming, the exotic gauges (altimeter, compass, angle we were tipped at, etc) all had very wild readings, and a few other niggles. And we were to travel miles from anywhere on some very poor roads. Spent the [View Full Entry]

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I know how you all love my updates but you will have to wait a little longer. I have been on an island in the middle of lake malawi wilth no email, I borrowed a comp to type up what I had been doing but now back on the mainland on a slow computer the memory stick isn't recognised. So you will have to wait another week till I am in Lilongwe and I will try to update you there about the island and what I am doing thisweek with my new travel companion- my dad. I'd like votes on who [View Full Entry]

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Sat 26 May Off to catch the evening boat (the Ilala - it’s the only one) to the Malawi mainland at Nkhata Bay. The ferry journey was 'an experience'. We actually had a nice cabin. But loading from Likoma where there is no jetty was like a war time evacuation. Lots of overloaded small boats carrying goods and people in the dark out to the ferry where we clambered up a ladder. And the arrival was a stampede to get goods to market - and trying to check tickets as people got off seemed a bit late in the day. [View Full Entry]

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Thurs 24 May So here I am, your guest blogger - Leigh / Dad / DDLL (short for daddy long legs - self explanatory I trust). I’m new to this and a bit unhappy that it’s a public forum so can’t be too rude about anyone in case they tune in. Arrive Lilongwe from overnight flight via long stopover in Nairobi and spend afternoon sorting out arrangements. A good night’s sleep and then leap out of bed (after untangling myself from mosquito net). Does one leave glasses, book, etc outside the net or bring them inside onto the bed ? [View Full Entry]

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Sunday20th I walked to Kaya Mawa which is the really expensive resort on the island to see what all the fuss is about. I can see it would be a really nice honeymoon location (suppose to be a top 10) but I think I would get bored! I then walked to Mango drift and finally had one of their Pizza that I’d been told so much about but always arrived to late to order one. I talked to 2 people who are working in an Eco-lodge on Mozambique. Then walked back to Cecelia’s with a French Canadian who was walking [View Full Entry]

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